Happy New Year!

2011, you are finally here.  Thank goodness.  While 2010 definetely held several good things for me, there was also a lot of bad, almost an unusual amount of bad.  This bad was concentrated around myself and my friends and I know that others out there experienced similar badness.  What was with 2010 anyway?

We lost some fabulous horses this year, had some horrific injuries to both horses and humans and well, personally I got sucked into a very negative financial vortex (totally by my own doing, not trying to shirk my responsibility here).  But now its 2011 and this year, this year will be a year to remember in a most positive and excellent way.  I guarentee it. 

Despite my lack of financial diligence, I really am, at heart, a planner.  I make big plans, whats the point of small plans? 

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars."

- Les Brown

I have to make the bigger plans so I at least get to do the almost as awesome and cool stuff.  This year, my resolution is to take the small parts of those plans into serious account so that the bigger parts come to fruition.  Focus.  Focus.  Focus. 

Bastian has been wonderful!  Since right around Christmas time, I've been back to riding him regularly, and I think that his happy to be back to work again, especially since that work has included two jumping sessions.  (Woot!)  But his canter has been feeling especially nice and aside from getting us both back into shape from our pseudo-break over the past month, he's been a gem.  We've been focusing on just steady steady steady.  Keeping the same correct rhythm, the same quiet head and neck, no fussing, quiet fluid transistions.  Just basic stuff, with a few leg yields or counter canters thrown in every now and then just for giggles.  I mean, I can only loop the arena so many times before we both need some mental stimulation.... :)

I'm trying very hard to be more aware of me also, where my body is, am I straight, am I balanced, did I ask for the transition right, did I cause him to bobble or is he just being a booger?  So well there isn't a "wow" moment of advancement, there is the quiet I know that I have to master the simple stuff before I move onto the tough stuff and I think that we are slowly and steadily conquering that. 

We've started jumping some cross-rails again, and he's taken to it like we never stopped jumping.  He doesn't take off to the fences, which is something that I like, I have to keep my leg on to a degree to keep him forward.  He's keen to jump, but he is a bit lazy so he just needs the leg more to say "yes we are going to jump," and not to "make" him jump.  I'm hoping that this is the year we get to have some more jumping time at some shows, hunter shows or schooling trials and events. 

Just today we trotted a 2' Verticle!!  He was soooooo good!!!!

Here is my show schedule as I have it planned out thus far:

Show One:
May 6, 7, and 8
Majestic Farm's Ride for the Roses I and II
(magically (I think it was meant to be) I have that Friday off from work, so it fits in perfectly with my plans) 


Show Two:
June 18, 19
Lake Erie College Dressage Derby


Show Three:
August 12-14
Hotter Than Blue Blazes I and II

Show Fouir:
September 22-25
Region 2 Championships

I chose the above shows based on dates and classes.  All of them offer Para-Equestrian Classes, and since I need to practice and ride those tests in competition, I'm a bit limited in which shows I can pick from.  Also, shows one and three are held at the same location as Regionals, so I thought it might be nice for Mr. Bastian to get a look-see at where he would be competing in the fall and have some positive experiences there.  Also, all the shows (except regionals) are two shows held over one weekend, so really its like going to six shows, six opportunities to get my qualifying scores for regionals.  This year I want to qualify at First Level as well.

I've figured out financially the approximate cost of entries, hotels, and trailering.  (see me taking those small steps to make the bigger ones happen!)  So with a bit of luck, I should be able to make it happen. 

I also am in need of a better dressage saddle.  Don't get me wrong, I do like my Isabella, but now that I am getting more serious about this, a saddle that isn't fraying and that can actually be really *cleaned* would be nice.  I'm hoping to start saddle shopping in February if all goes according to plan (which we all know it never will.....lol)  Mostly I just want to decide on what saddle I am aiming for so that I have a final goal in mind. 

So here's to the new year of fabulous opportunities and possibilities!

Bastian's Top Ten

If you know Bastian, you know that the B-man loves to eat.  He is a genuine lover of food, I can't exactly say he's a connoisseur, since he'll eat practically anything, but he is a good judge of excellent equine cuisine nonetheless.

Today he would like me to share with you his Top Ten Horse Treats.  Every pony hopes to wake up on Christmas AM to a stocking filled with carrots, apples, and other not quite as healthy treats.  Here are Bastians favorites...

10.

  Super Stars from The Ginger Ridge Company:  Made with Anise and Orange oils, the different taste is one that horses love.  Plus, they are shaped into little stars, fit in Bastian's Nose-It horse ball and what could be better than feeding your super-star a super star horse treat?

9.

Butterscotch Flavored Manna Pro Bite Size Horse Treats:  Yes, butterscotch.  Delicious and something different from the apple, carrot and peppermint flavored treats in existence.  These are for the frugal horse as you can get a 5 lb bag of them at TSC for about $5.99.  They last a long time and again, there size is perfect for fitting into Bastian's Nose-It.

8.

Mrs. Pastures Horse Cookies:  Homemade goodness!  Bastian is a huge fan of these, they come in a variety of sizes and make great stocking stuffers...hint*hint....

7.

Uncle Jimmy's Hanging Balls:  Not just a treat, but hours of entertainment for your molasses-possessed hungry pony.  Bastian took about 3 weeks to devour his, hung properly in his stall.  He definitely thinks this is a cold weather treat as in the summertime the molasses gets melty and makes an even bigger mess.  For three weeks, Bastian has had a chunky layer on his nose, neck and crest from interacting with his hanging ball.  I think I need to take my goo-gone to the barn to deal with it today, I'm not sure the Miracle Groom is going to work...

6.

 Hard Candy: Particularly, the Tuti-Fruiti Mix from Daffin's Chocolates in Sharon, PA.  It is sold by the pound and he love when I bring him a bag of it to the barn, lots of different flavors and I'm not sure which one he likes best, but dude, when he hears that wrapper crinkle he is one happy pony! 

5

 Nicker Makers:  I found these while competing at Regionals this year.  They smell delicious and Bastian sucks them up pretty dern quick when I pull the bucket out.  They are a good molasse-ee treat that any horse is sure to love!

4

Stud Muffins: From the same people who make Uncle Jimmy's Hanging Balls.  Each treat comes individually wrapped for freshness, which is a little annoying, but Bastian enjoys the anticipatory crinkle of the wrapper before diving into his treat.  Slightly smaller than the Nicker Maker Treat.

3

 Carrots and Apples:  Yes, the natural stuff.  He loves loves loves carrots, especially the fancy ones with the greens still on.  His favorite apple flavor is the Golden Delicious. 

2.

 Granola Bars:  Thank you Donna for introducing Bastian to this delightful treat!  The best part is that you can sneak a bite or two for yourself when you are super hungry at the barn.  Bastian is very lucky that his adopted sister, Gria, has a steady supply of granola bars at her stall.  He usually manages to snag a piece or two of granola bar when she is getting one.  He books it over to the front corner of his stall when he hears one being unwrapped.  These are the Nature Valley Granola bars for the record..... oats and honey.

And Bastian's number one, all time favorite horse treat is.....

1.

 Paddock Cakes "Gimme S'mores" 

A marshmallow sandwiched between two yummy paddock cakes.  Paddock Cakes are probably the best quality horse treat Bastian has ever eaten.  They smell sooooooo good, I am always jealous when Bastian has these and so tempted to eat one. 

So keep this in mind as you holiday shop for your pony.  They will positively adore you if you buy them S'mores Paddock Cakes....

Bastian has been chillin' so far this month.  With the extra hours I've been getting at work, I haven't had the time to see him as often as I would like.  I think I've only ridden four or five times this month.  I am totally going out tonight and plan on riding tomorrow and Thursday as well before going to Erie for a few days, then I'll have a whole week to ride and visit with him :)

Kristin turned him out in the arena the other day with Gria while she was tearing down jumps and he apparently jumped over everything on his own like he was pro, he's giving me a pretty clear message: He wants to be an eventer or a hunter (or both).  

So I'm going to try really hard to get him on track to do some eventing this summer at some schooling shows or if things work out financially a recognized event.  I'm gonna aim for the schooling series at South Farm and Buckeye.  Close by and affordable.

Unfortunately, he needs to continue to feel my Dressage needs as well.  I've picked out three shows to attend this year (again, if financially feasible) and then Regionals in September.  Hopefully Bastian is up to the challenge of the Para-Equestrian Test for Grade III, I'm gonna start showing in those classes at shows so I can be ranked in my division.  There's a method to my madness..honest!

Regional Wrap-up and my YIR

Sorry I got off track while actually at regionals, I had plans of keeping everyone updated every day, but due to being exhausted and fighting off some sort of bug at the hotel, I didn't do a very good job. 

So here we go...

Friday:
All together an awesome day.  Tawny had her Training Level Open Championships that day and she totally rocked it with Gem.  They won their division with a solid score of 72%.    Team BEC was off to an awesome start!

Elizabeth showed in a regular First Level 4 class and placed 3rd.  I got to do some awesome shopping with Shari and even braided a cute little PSG horse for someone else (yay!  a client, lol)

Finally, as the day wound down there was time enough to take Bastian for a couple of turns around the warm-up ring.  I had cruised by the Show Photographer earlier in the day and looked at my pictures from my Test on Thursday, wow were my shoulders ever hunched.  I could have moved right in to Notre Dame, seriously. 

So Kristin had me being much more aware of my body position and Bastian felt so much better than he had on Thursday (translation, the better I ride, the better he is...duh!)  The Warm-up ring itself was a whole 'nother issue.  I have never liked warm-up rings.  Ever.  I'm not sure which is scarier anymore, a hunter/jumper warm-up ring or a dressage ring. 

I try to stay in my own little space and be aware of where other people are and what they are doing, but come-on people.  Dressage people suck because we don't stay on the rail, we are always doing figures, diagonals, leg yields, shoulder ins, tempi changes, etc. etc.  So anyway there were some crazy horses in the warm-up and it fried both mine and Bastian's nerves a bit, but I managed to stay on which is I guess the only important thing, right? LOL

I ride at 8:49 on Saturday.  I am freaked out and need some serious syking up.  We got to the show grounds at 6:30 ish AM, which gave me just enough time to braid and brush Bastian and get dressed and tacked up.  Which was probably a good thing because it meant I couldn't actually focus on the fact I was about to ride in the Region 1 AA Training Level Championship Class.  I'm just a little podunk pony, this, to me, is the big time.

Bastian warmed up very nicely, again there was some schooling ring drama, a big old black warmbloody thing terrorized my horse and then I think I might have been stalked by a Bay PSG horse because she thought maybe I had purposely gotten in her way.  It was crazy, but despite all that, we managed to warm our selves up. 

Our test went very well, the only place I want to lodge a formal complaint on is the second half of my centerline.  Someone was walking their horse in a BRIGHT WHITE full cooler, blowing in breeze right next to the judge's car at C.  While I fully feel that Bastian should be trained enough to ignore something as trivial as this, he didn't.  He did his best giraffe impression yet between X and into the corner between C and M.  After that, he was the bestest little Dragon ever. 



Here is the video of our ride and our subsequent journey into the coliseum to collect our ribbon.  I recieved a 68% from one judge and a 66% from the other for an average score of 67%.  That was good enough to earn us a 6th place! 

He's got the evil eye going on there, but look at that awesome ribbon!!  He was so good during the awards ceremony, until a big black horse (7th place) decided to pass us and pin him next to the judge's stand.  sheesh, she was in a hurry to get done in there, I on the other hand had travelled 12 hours and wasted all of my personal days from work to enjoy my victory lap, so I didn't feel the need to go super fast, I wanted to enoy it. :)

Elizabeth also rode, showing in her Training Level Jr/Yr Championship Class, she finished in Fifth place and got a lovely white ribbon.  On Sunday, Elizabeth rode in the First Level Jr/Yr Championship and won 5th place.  Lilly was awesome on Sunday!  They had a fabulous test. 

Sunday was also the First Level Championships for the Open Division.  Again, BEC rocked!  Tawny and Gem took 5th place and Kristin and Zoe took Reserve Champs!! 

Basically, 6th place was the lowest Championship class placing for the BEC team, we were in the ribbons in each of our classes.  Not too shabby in my opinion. 

So as my year winds down, I see that I have accomplished several of my goals. 

1)I competed at regionals.  I was hoping to be in the top 10, and I was 6!  That is "this close" to being in the top 5!!!!!!

2) I won a year end award.  Bastian and I were the Reserve Champions in the Grand Haven Schooling Show Series.  ☺

3) I had a hell of a lot of fun!!!! 

The year to come....

Regionals was, unfortunately, my  last show for quite some time.  Basically I am tired of living in a black hole of debt.  So no more showing until I pay off all of my credit cards and all I have left is my mortgage and student loans.  The only exception is that I will go to Grand Haven and compete in a Training Level class at some time so that I am qualified for Regionals next year (In Cincinnatti!!!).  Otherwise we are on official hiatus. 

Thats all folks!

Regionals Day Two......

Another long day, but in the end, it was worth it.  We were all tired.  Especially Mr. B.  By the time I got around to grooming him, he had more sawdust on his blanke and in his tail then he did on the floor of his stall.  LOL.

Team Bauer rocked as usual.  Tawny and Gem took first in First Level 2 with a 75%.  Kristin and Zoe took third with a 68% in First Level 4, with a very explosive Zoe..... and Bastian and I took a third as well in our Training 4 class with a score of 68%.  First and second were tied with a 70.433 so I wasn't that far off! 

I was very frustrated with my riding on a personal  level.  I feel disjointed and unprepared.  Bastian is going great, I just either over-do it and over ride or freeze up, I haven't quite struck my happy medium, so getting a nice score like a 68%  was a good confidence booster, but of course I want to do better.  We scored mostly 7s with two 6s on our test movements and my collectives were a mix of 6s and 7s. 

This was my first show using my new para-equestrian classification as well.  I can now legally velcro my feet into the stirrups, woot!  Tomorrow I'll just school and then bright and early on Saturday morning I'll ride in my Finals class.  I promise to keep my focus and relax.   I'll try to get my video loaded tomorrow of my tests.

Until then....... wish us luck...

We're here (Regionals Day One)

Its official, we are checked in and moved into Barn B at the Region One Championships. :)

We rolled out of the barn at 6 AM this morning and arrived a mere 11 hours later in lovely, sunny Williamston, NC.  That 11 hours riding in Elvis was a blast, despite the fact that I stole some lovely cat naps throughout the day, but hey I was working on just 3 and 1/2 hours of sleep from the night before.  I need to make this quick so I can get some much needed sleep tonight....

Bastian got to travel in style in a four horse slant load trailer.  Look how stinkin' cute he is in his fuzzy halter!!  I have been saving that halter for nearly two years now, this was first time I could actually justify using it.  And it was worth it, this was Bastian's biggest trip yet.  He seems to have traveled fine and settled right into his stall as usual.  He was mostly upset because half-way here he ran out of hay to eat.  But lots of yummy hay and a fluffy stall quickly sorted all that out. 

We got moved into our stalls and tack room and then headed out to find our hotel and get some grub for ourselves.  While waiting for my chicken fingers to be served to me (that is my horse show meal, it is all I will probably eat for the remainder of the week), I dug through the show program to get the rest of my numbers:

There are 14 people in my Training Four Class tomorrow.  There are still 25 people in my Finals class on Saturday and there are 11 Thoroughbreds including Bastian here.  That means we have ten to beat for the Thoroughbred High Score Award, wish us luck!

I'm off to have some happy dreams.  More tomorrow!!

Anticipation!!!!

I haven't posted an update in a while because, well, there wasn't anything worth updating about.  Since our last show, we were in a quite a slump for the month of September.  I have to own up and say it was mostly induced by me.  And as long as I felt crappy, Bastian was crappy.  We did have a few good moments here and there, but I think overall its best to forget September even existed this year and move right into October. 

Here is one of our better moments (right before a bad one).  I was going to take Bastian to the EHSC Hunter Pace, so I decided we needed a quick jumping refresher so that I would feel confident about cantering over the tiny sticks and other 18" jumps they have there. 

I think he looks pretty dern good for having not really jumped since April.  He was soooooooooooo happy to be doing "not-dressage." LOL   But he took a funny step somewhere in all of that and came up lame in his right stifle. :(    So we ended up not going to the Hunter Pace together, but luckily I know some really awesome people and I was still able to ride in the pace on the sweetest little Paint mare, Poco.  I had a blast! 

I blistered his stifles again and he was not a happy camper.  But overall he was a good sport about it.  Finally at the end of September he was sound, pushing evenly from the back and not "sliding."

Now we are a month away from Regionals in Williamston, NC.  I am very excited to go, I have never before in my equine career achieved anything like this.  I go to Regionals fulling expecting to have my ass handed to me.  I'm not being pessimistic.  I'm being realistic.  Bastian is a great guy who has good gaits (consistently scores a 7!!), but he is a Thoroughbred, I make some dumb mistakes, and this is really my first year showing in almost 4 or 5 years (wow, it was forever ago!)  I know that I cannot compete with the 25 other (yes, I counted entries....lol) Training Level AA in my class.  They are likely to be better mounted and more well funded than I am.

I am INCREDIBLY happy with where Bastian and I are at.  I mean, honestly, a year ago at this time I was barely cantering because I was afraid.  This is his first full year (excluding lameness lay-ups) that he actually worked the whole time.  Up until this point in his life, either he was broken, I was broken or I was broke ($$).  So there was no consistency.  So it has been a tremendous year for both of us. 

So my plan at regionals is to be technically spot on.  I need to keep him straight, accurate, and soft and maybe  with a little bit of luck, I'll manage to get myself into the top ten.  Maybe.  I hope I can at least pull off a Qualifying score for next year.  

We leave on Wednesday the 10th to trailer for 8 1/2 hours.  (yay...:( )  I show on Thursday, just a warm-up type regular class to get him out and doing something.  Friday nothing, then my Finals class is on Saturday.  I'm very excited, I love going to shows with my barn, we always have such a great time.  Then we come home on Monday the 14th. 

I've been taking lessons each week in October and am going to bump up to two a week for next week and the following, plus Bastian is in 1/2 training.  I want this to go so well, I don't want to leave anything out or skip a step.  Fingers and toes are crossed that everything goes well!

Next weekend I finally get to clip him.  He is such a wooly mammoth!!  He gets super sweaty when we ride too and takes forever to dry.  *ugh*  But next weekend I am taking every lick of hair off of his body except his mane and tail.  Legs, face, body, its all gonna be naked!  I'll be sure to get before and after pictures.  Then, lucky me, I'll be hairy for days....lol

Here is a picture of the Wooly guy in his awesome new electric blue pad and polos.  Aint he cute!

Last weekend, on the 16th I had the opportunity to ride in a clinic with Gina Krueger.  I got a good tip on my riding position and have been working to keep myself more on the front of my thighs.  So all in all we've been on the right track. 

His transitions are getting nice (Thank you Kristin!!!!), especially if I keep my outside rein and keep my leg on (wow, I know, who would think that actually riding would make such a difference).  I need to get better with my timing, I'm usually half a second too slow in my reward/softening and a stride too late in my corrections, as in I don't stop it before it starts!  But he is overall feeling fabulous.  We ran through our test last night and other than me not preparing for my transitions a few times, it went pretty nice.  I had the rare chance to ride in the arena alone last night, with the weather changing, it can get crazy in there sometimes so practicing my actual full test doesn't really happen.  Our trot loops were nice and balanced, stretchy circle was nice.  It was canter up and downs that I messed up, I just sorta froze, I was too focused on "OMG I have to transistion NOW"  but I did it a few more times and it got better.

I'll be sure post some before and after clipping pictures, I just can't wait until he's not a hairy dragon monster anymore!

Utterly Disappointed

This past weekend Bastian and I headed the the NWPAHA Summer Classic in Harlansburg, PA.  It was a small dressage show, just one ring each day.  I was hoping to get my second qualifying score for First Level.  To make a long story short, it didn't happen.  On Saturday, we scored a 61.21, so stinkin close!  Then on Sunday, we scored a 61.84.  We needed a 62%.  I can't even put into words how disappointed I am.  This was our last chance to double qualify.  Now I can only compete at Training Level at regionals. 

Which may or may not be a good thing, if I'm not consistent enough to get the scores at the local shows, what business do I have competing at the the Regional Championships?  But I do honestly feel that we are capable of putting in a good test.  I know that my tests this weekend were overall better than some in the past, but the judges nailed me for every mistake.  And no I am not about to start bashing the judges, they have a tough job, give a score and a comment for an instant constantly during the test.  They have to go with their instinct they can't question it and they are trained to do this.  They go to forums/workshops/trainings. 

I also rode a Training 4 test, just to see how we've improved.  Apparently we haven't, we've actually regressed?  I scored a 60.4 on my Training 4 Test.  I had three major snafus one was picking up the wrong lead on my first canter depart.  I got it fixed pronto and the rest was wonderful.  The other one was really only one mistake, but I made it twice.  Our down transition from canter to trot as supposed to be at the letter, (at C and A respectively)  I transitioned on the long side between the center letter and the corner, I managed to combine the canter work from Training 2 with the canter work in Training 4.  So all three mistakes were mine and the judge nailed me.  Those should have been 7s, instead I got 4s.  So there is 12 more points right there....  Here is the test:



But otherwise I thought it was a beautiful test, we got 7s on most everything else.  I did get the "feet shoved home in stirrups and excessively kicking" bit in the rider comment section.  Here is my first level test.  Again, I thought it rode beautifully, I missed my left lead this time and had I not I think I would have made my score :(



I'll post my Sunday test once it finishes loading onto youtube. 

Things I wish the judges knew:
A) How friggin hard I've worked to get to where I am.  I think this goes for anyone who works hard with their horses and spends all of their time, money and resources on them.  Last year at this time I was still only walk/trotting with a few canter strides thrown in here and there.  Bastian was being a bit naughty and I was getting scared.  Now we are doing some pretty solid First Level Work.  The amount I have improved in a year is phenomenal.  Yes I had excellent training and instruction.  But that doesn't change the fact that I had to step up to the plate too.  Would that make judging more or less fair?  I don't know.  Some people work their asses off and are never successful because those that can pay for greatness beat them out. 

Not always the case, I know and sometimes those people that are working their asses off are working incorrectly so no, they won't win.  There isn't a good solution.  But not achieving what I set out to do this weekend has me thinking in different directions.  Again, I think the judging was mostly fair.  I can only say mostly because there are a few spots I would have given us 9s on because damn it felt perfect compared to what we normally have!  But that is the riders Bias.  I felt great coming out the ring for all three tests, I felt like we had really done it.  Then I got my scores.  It was a huge let down, so of course I start to fixate on all the good spots and how it should have be scored higher.....

B) I am not excessively kicking my horse.  This they will know soon enough.  The papers have been sent in I am just awaiting my official card.  I am now a Grade III para-equestrian. 

C)  Bastian is an EPM survivor.  Imagine how strong that little booty would be if he hadn't had the muscle atrophy he had. 

I know, I know, no matter how much I wish, it isn't going to enter into the equation.  I am paying for the judges opinion for that moment in time, they have to go with what they see, I have to trust their judgement. 
I've been on the opposite side before too, a judge miraciously missed my two trot steps in a free walk, I scored a 7 and it had a great positive comment.  That was a gift, I should have scored a 5.  Its like being in a flat class at a hunter show, and your horse throws his head and tries to take off while the judge is looking the other way.  You get him back before the judge looks at you and are perfect, you win the class.  Everyone else that saw your little antics is upset that the horse that tried to take off won.  Its all in what the judge sees and doesn't see and whether you are lucky or not. 

Hopefully the stars align for us at Regionals.  This can be our practice year before Bastian really starts to kick butt. ;)